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Extreme Weather Wake-Up Call for Climate Action

Last Modified: Sep 24, 2013

B.C. is experiencing an increase in extreme weather events and other serious global warming impacts. Yet the B.C. government is poised to build massive new infrastructure to service fossil fuel expansion. Take action.

Over 100,000 people were displaced as a result of catastrophic floods in Calgary and other parts of Alberta in June, 2013. Photo: Wayne Stadler via Flickr.

As Vancouver experiences a whole month without a drop of rain and record heats blister the continent, it is increasingly apparent that numbers of extreme weather events continue to increase, as scientists predicted.

Arctic sea ice melted in record amounts last year, a rate which will inevitably speed up this summer with the effects of an extreme cyclone. Even the most daring global warming models have underestimated the rate of arctic melting.

The World Meteorological Organization is reporting a pronounced trend of global warming and a steady increase in extreme weather events around the globe.

B.C. is experiencing more extreme weather events and other serious global warming impacts. The driest July on record for 60 years in Vancouver, followed catastrophic flooding in south-eastern B.C. and Calgary. In addition to the mountain pine beetle infestation, which devastated forestry-dependent communities, the province’s multimillion dollar shellfish industry stands to be impacted by acidifying ocean waters. Coastal cities such as Vancouver are preparing for more extreme floods and rising sea levels.

New oil pipelines, more tankers and other forms of expansion of fossil fuel production will bring global warming to a point of no return. NASA's James Hansen lays out the implications for agriculture and society if fossil fuel reserves are fully exploited, in a ground-breaking new paper.

Instead of ramping up efforts to reduce emissions, the short-sighted energy strategy of the B.C. government ignores the climate crisis and makes it impossible for the province to meet its own emissions reduction targets.

While B.C. has said “no” to the proposed Enbridge pipeline and tankers project “as it stands”, the province has left the door open to the proposed new Kinder Morgan pipeline from Alberta to Vancouver.

We must heed the warnings of scientists, the International Energy Agency and the World Bank, and immediately stop building new fossil fuel infrastructure, such as pipelines, tanker terminals, fracking wells and liquid natural gas facilities. At the same time, we must develop a plan to phase out fossil fuels as quickly as possible. The time is now to choose a different path forward.

"We urge the B.C. government to truly act in the interest of families and jobs, and to take urgent action before it is too late," said Sierra Club BC campaigner Jens Wieting. "Instead of massive investment in fossil fuel projects, we should be devoting resources to energy conservation, renewable energy and protection of our spectacular natural life support systems, forests, and marine meadows,” Wieting said.

Take action now. Ask Premier Clark and the B.C. government to reject all new tar sands pipelines and tankers in British Columbia.

A Sierra Club BC reportshows that B.C.’s true carbon footprint is four times higher than officially reported due to uncounted fossil fuel exports and forest emissions. Carbon emissions will increase up to ten times the official tally, if proposed pipeline and tanker projects go ahead.

While U.S. president Barack Obama said in July that the Keystone pipeline will be rejected if it increases carbon emissions, the B.C. government has not mentioned any conditions addressing climate impacts in their consideration of pipeline proposals from the Alberta tar sands to the BC coast.

On Saturday July 11, Sierra Club BC will be paddling the Peace alongside youth and elders from Treaty 8 First Nations, third-generation Peace Valley farm families, resource industry workers, local government reps, and British Columbians from all over the province.

We are not even halfway through the Week to End Enbridge (Jun. 13-21) and already people all over B.C. have attended Pull Together events raising thousands for First Nations fighting Enbridge in courts.